Game review: World of Tanks

There was a time when I was a kid that I was absolutely crazy about tanks. I mean, who wouldn’t be? Being able to command 30 tons of steel and weaponry combined with the massive boom that comes with firing a tanks’ main gun is every pre-teen boy’s fantasy. Now there’s been a few tank simulators in the past, and some first person shooters have made tank levels on their titles, but there’s never really been a true tank based, massively multiplayer game until World of Tanks arrived.

World of Tanks is a free to play game that allows players to compete in a PvP setting with 2 groups of 15 players duking it out in a variety of maps, from close quarter city battles to sprawling deserts and hills. There’s a variety of tanks available from 3 main factions – the Germans, Russians and Allies. There are 3 classes to choose from regular tanks, tank destroyers and self propelled artillery. Regular tanks do most of the hard work, and depending on your tier (level), you can use light tanks (arty spotters and recon specialists), medium tanks and heavy tanks. Tank destroyers are direct fire and ambush specialist, able to penetrate armor from afar. Self propelled arty rain indirect fire, though they can be used to shoot at other tanks directly if need be.

The game requires a delicate balance of different tanks to work, and teamwork to win. There’s a definite learning curve involved in playing the game and just like any other free to play online game, there’s a lot of grinding involved. You start of in 3 light tanks from each faction, which you can upgrade by researching new parts and eventually unlock new tanks from the tech tree. Your tank is also manned by different crew members, depending on the tank. My Russian AT-1 TD needed a crew of 3 – a gunner, commander and a driver.

There’s a unique damage system in place in WoT. Each shot is computed depending on a bunch of factors – the overall damage capability of the gun firing, the ammo loaded (regular anti-tank, high explosive anti-tank and premium rounds), the armor of the target and the angle of the tank being fired upon. This is where some of the tank classes differentiate themselves – a TD usually has high frontal armor and a powerful main gun but lacks the mobility to go toe to toe with regular tanks, etc. In addition, several tank modules can get damaged by shots, from the tracks and engine getting hit resulting in your tank being immobilized to your crew being injured and/or killed due to spalling damage.

The game survives on micro-transactions, and there are several benefits of buying gold in exchange for some real money. One, it allows your account to become a premium account, which allows you to organize parties and earn more experience and money than a regular account. Gold also allows you to unlock some premium tanks without having to go and research them. You can also exchange gold for in-game currency to beef up your purchasing power.

Probably the biggest flaw in the game is its matchmaking system. Since free accounts don’t have the ability to create parties, you’ll always be assigned to a team with strangers. This makes teamwork tricky, especially since the game is so focused on working together to win. Another annoying issue is that you’ll sometimes be pitted against other tanks that you won’t be able to damage with your gun.

Still, WoT has proved to be an enjoyable experience, especially when you opt to make your account a premium one. It does have some flaws, but the game is constantly evolving, and it’s definitely worth a download. You can download the 1.8GB installer from www.worldoftanks.com.

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WHAT’S INSIDE

There’s barely two months left to get your holiday gifts in order. With the rush of the season—including deadline buzzer beaters for company shutdowns, more vehicle standstills, greater mall foot traffic, and fleeting daylight—it can be daunting to decide what to give you and yours. Don’t worry. As always, we’ve got your back with our November Holiday Wishlist issue.

We’ve got the scene’s latest toys in our Parade and Wishlist section, all sure to put a smile on the faces of techies and non-techies alike. If you’re looking for something that’s been under the microscope, hop on over to the GadgetsLab and see whether we’d recommend the the Intel Core i5-6600, Adata Premier SP550, HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 3776, Lenovo Yoga Book, Philips 246E7, and LG V20 as sock stuffers. If you’re feeling a bit more generous with your gifts, we also reviewed the Honda City 1.5 E CVT Limited Edition and 2015 Yamaha Bolt in our Mobility pages.

But maybe you don’t want to give physical things. Maybe you believe in experiences. Then check out our coverage of Lyon, France; the Azar video chat app; Deus Ex: Mankind Divided; Gears of War 4; The Ransom Collective musicians; and the Sandaya Yakiniku and Guevarra’s restaurants; just to name a few.

And to help sizzle the cold year end breeze, we’ve got the comeback king, Motorola, in our pages, accompanied by the dynamic duo of James Reid and Nadine Lustre. With all the above and more, this is definitely the season to be jolly.

Grab your copy of Gadgets Magazine’s November 2016 Holiday Wishlist issue at your favorite bookstores and newsstands, as well as digitally, via Buqo and Magzter!